Track-jack.



No. 637,801. Y I Patented Nov. 28,4899.

A. KINTNER & n. BoNHAm.

nucl( JACK.

:Application tiled June 23, 1899.)

N o M o d e I vss UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMZI KINTNER AND DONA BONHAM, OF RUTLEDGE, MISSOURI.

TRACK-JAC K.

ySPECIFICATION :forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,801, dated November 28, 1899.

u Application iiled June 23, 1899. Serial No. 721,633. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, AMZI KINTNER and DONA BONHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Rutledge, in the county of Scotland and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Track-Jack, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to track-jacks, and particularly to that class in which there is a rocking head carrying hinged dogs or pawls that alternately act upon opposite lines of ratchet-teeth at each side of a vertically-movable staff or lifting-bar.

One of the objects of the invention is to improve the eiciency of devices of this class, and particularly in combining therewith means for throwing the dogs or pawls out of engagement with the ratchet-teeth on the staff or lifting-bar, which is maintained in inoperative position by the gravitation of a connected part or operating device therefor.

A further object of the invention is to position the rocking head at such an angle to the lifting-foot of the staif that when the jack is applied in operative position the hand pikes or bars connected up to the said rocking head will project and work in planes parallelwith the track, which prevents the operator from being thrown into the ditch or on the usual slope adjacent a track-bed, and thereby enable him to lift to better advantage.

Additional objects and advantageswill appear in the subjoined description; and the invention consists, essentially, of a staff-socket in which a staff is vertically movable and provided with opposite lines of ratchet-teeth and aflower outstanding foot horizontally disposed, a rocking head being pivotally mounted on the staff-socket and having oppositelyextending hand-pikes or bar-socketsand dogs centrally disposed in reverse position and constructed with vcam-receiving recesses at one side, with which a disengaging cam of substantially elliptical form coperates and is held in inoperative position by the gravitation of an operating-handle or analogous device connected thereto.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will/be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a track-j ack embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of the saine, looking toward the front and showing the stad in dotted lines therein. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the disengaging or releasing cam. Fig. 4 is a similarview of one of the dogs.

Similar numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral l designates a baseplate from which rises astaE-socket 2, located near one end, so as to protect the greater portion of the said base-plate and adapt it for disposition under a rail. The staff-socket 2 is strengthened by ribs 3, extending thereover and connecting with the base plate or rest l, and at one side an elongated slot is formed and opens into a seat- 5 on the base plate or rest l. The opening of the stad-socket 2 extends completely through the base plate or rest l, and the seat 5 also has arectangular or other opening 6 therein, which also continues through the said base-plate.

Within the staff-socket a verticallymovable staff or lifting-bar 7 is mounted andhas at its lower end a right-angular foot or out` standingprojection 8, which is adapted to move through the slot 4 when elevated and to make a flush fitting with the seat 5 when depressed. The outer portion 9 of the seat 5 slopes downwardly at an incline, so as to permit the insertion of the seat under a trackrail to position the outstanding foot or projection 8 in an uplifting relation to the said rail. The staff or lifting-bar 7 is also provided vvith a head 10, having an upper fiat surface that may be conveniently used in jacking up or lifting sills or other structural devices. Opposite edges of the staff or lifting-bar 7 are formed with ratchet-teeth ll, which are in exact alinement in all their parts in a transverse direction or similarly positioned and not in alternation, as in devices heretofore construct-ed.

On the staff-socket 2, at a suitable point below the upper end thereof, a rocking head 12 is pivotally mounted and has projecting outwardly from opposite ends at upward angles of inclination hand bar or lever sockets 13, which stand in planes at right angles to the plane of projection of the foot 8. Thepivot IOO 12l p aan ing thereagainst and held in immovable connection at their lower ends to the opposite end portions of the rocking head voutside of the position of the said dogs or pawl's.l The dogs or pawls 14.- are movable in slots or open? ings 16 in theupper portions of Opposite sides of the socket and take into the teeth 11 of the' staif or lifting-bar 7, which are exposed to the said slots or openings. The construction of each of the dogs is clearly shown in Fig. 4, and the main dierence of arrangement Vin` thepresent instance over the form heretofore usually adopted resides in an enlargement 17 on one edge beyond the pivotal point and extending below the biting ends of the dogs. ment a recess 18 is formed, which provides a straight face 19 on the enlargement 17, and these recesses in the opposite dogs are lccated inwardly in the socket 2, close to the vinner Surface of Yone wall, wherea substantially elliptical cam 20 is rotatably mounted. "The cam 2O is let into a recess 21, so as tc free lor clear the adjacent side of the stai or lifting.

bar 7, and ismade fast to the inner end ofa spindle 22, having a weighted operating-han die 23 on the outer end thereof, which stands beyondthe plane of the adjacent side of the rocking head 12. The weight ofthe operatinghandle 23 vis sulicient` to overcome the frictional tendency of the spindle 22 and the Weight of the cam 20, and when said handle is released-or not. moved for operating the cam it automatically gravitates and assumes the position shown by Fig. 1, thereby always maintaining the cam in itsvnormal position,

v as shown in Fig. '2, and clear of contact with the faces 19 of the projections 17, carried by the dogs or pawls 14. The depth of the recesses 18, considered relatively to the transverse axial line drawn through the cam when in normal position, is such that thesaid dogs will be permitted to have free movement in their lifting function relatively to the staff .7 without causing the said faces 19 'to bear upon the opposite curved edges of the cam. Y

The general contour of the cam and they mode of application thereof to the handle 23 is such that when thecam is turned vin either right or left position itwill vexert an equal outward pressure on the dogs 14 by bearing againstthefaces 19 of the projections 17, the said projections having s'ucient lateral extentl to tak'e'up the dierenceof width of,` openingin the vsocket 2 at their points of lo# At the outer end of the enlarge-,y

cation and due tothe recess 21, in which the cani is located. The said faces 19 of the projections 17 always stand lin linewiththe Op? posite edges of the cam and the thickness of the cam is about or exactly equal to the wid-th of the said faces. Y Y

In operation the rocking head 12 is reciprocated on its pivot and the dogs` 14: take'into the ratchet-teeth 1l on the stad or lifting-.bar 7 ,and the latter is gradually elevated through the staE-socket 2. This movement of the `staff or lifting-,bar 7 -will simultaneously elevate 4the foot 8, and the said staff being located a greater distance to one side of the central transverse line of the base plate or rest 1 suicient room is obtained for easily inserting the said base plate or rest under a trackrail to lbe elevated. When it is desired to lower the staff or lifting-bar, the handle 23 is grasped and the cam 20 turned in either direction,and the opposite curved edges thereof comingV in contact with the faces 19 of the enlargement'l? on the'dcgs 14 simultaneously throws out the latter and releases their biting ends from 'therteeth 11 on the staff oriliftingbar 7, and 'thereby permits the latter toA drop by gravity in the socket. In placing the jack in relativeA position to a track-rail it will be understood that the foot 8 should be first completely lowered within its seat 5. The base plate or rest 1 and the seat5 can then be readily inserted under the rail, and the said foot is' regularly raised to' eiect an elevation of the part desired to be moved. The inclination or bevel cf the seat 5 assists in the'easy mounting of the base plate or rest 1 under the track-rail to be raised', and it will be observed that as the cross-head is rocked the operat= ing bars or' levers will be in a plane at right angles to the said foot, thereby Apermitting the operators to stand on a level or inv such position as to obtain the greatest purchase and apply a greater lifting power to the device than can be obtained in ajack having'4 the cross-head extending inthe same direci tion as the lifting-foot of the staff.

In the operation of the rockinghead 12 the inner binding ends Yof the dogs 14 are held continuously in engagement with the oppo site teeth, the one holding while the other is taking a new position, and all -the parts are of va form and dimension to produce a strong jack.

It is' intended, of course, that the hand bars or levers be disconnected from the sockets 13 when the use of the jack is discontinued or during its transportation from one Y point to another, and changes in the general proportions, size, and minor details of construction to suit different applications might be Vrescrted to without departing from the nature of the invention or sacrificing any of the'advanta'ges incident thereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as `new is 1. In a track-jack, ,ther combination of a staffysocket, aJ-staff or lifting-bar movably IOO inounted therein and provided with ratchetteeth on opposite edges, a rocking head on the staff having opposite dogs pivotally connected thereto and adapted to engage the teeth of the said staff or bar, and a cam interposed between portions of and operable to release said dogs from the staff or bar and having gravitating means for holding it inactive, said cam being also free of contact with any part of the rocking head.

2. In a track-jack, the combination of a staff-socket, a star'` movably mounted therein, a rocking head on the sta-socket provided with dogs to engage the said staff, and a double-ended cam interposed between portions of the said dogs and having gravitating means connected thereto for normally holding it inactive, the said cam being free from contact with any part of the rocking head.

3. The combination with a stad socket having a staff movably mounted therein and provided with opposite teeth, of a rocking head pivotally applied to the said socket and carrying oppositely-positioned dogs having enlargements with outer recesses, a doubleended cam interposed between the recesses of the enlargements of the said dogs, and gravitating means connected to the cam for normally holding the latter inactive.

4. In a track-jack, the combination of a staff socket having a slot in one side, a staff or lifting-bar movably mounted therein and provided with ratchet-teeth on opposite edges and having its lower terminal formed as a right-angular foot movably projecting through said slot in the socket and extending entirely from one side of the sta, a rocking head movably mounted on said socket and disposed in a plane at right angles to the said foot and also having positively-extending re- -ceptive devices for hand bars or levers, and 

